6. From today's Anomalist, data on the Michigan Bigfoot:Despite Skeptics, Bigfoot Devotee Presents SightingsMLive. West Branch, MI, resident Phil Shaw and his wife witnessed a Bigfoot cross an opening in the forest in the Canadian Maritime Provinces three years ago. Today Shaw presents his evidence for Bigfoot, particularly in the state of Michigan where over 100 sightings have been reported over the past 15 years.

Well, as most of you will know by now, barely a week goes by without some sort of high-strangeness occurring in the vicinity of England's Cannock Chase woods. And now there is this: a new article (at the local Chase Post newspaper) that details the high-strangeness (which includes so-called British Bigfoot reports) at the Chase's Pye Green Tower.

It Ain't Nessie-ssarily So - Or Is It?ShukerNature. Dr. Karl Shuker reviews what he believes is an underappreciated DVD produced by The Discovery Channel in 2005 and entitled Loch Ness Discovered. Among the startling reports on the DVD, which actually holds three different film reports, is that "Loch Ness is to all intent and purposes two separate lakes, comprising a warmer layer, where little lives, above a colder, wilder underlayer containing fauna and dramatic underwater weather." Shuker also comments on an underwater storm that led to sonar images of large moving bodies the next day and various sightings, sonar contacts and theories of what prehistoric creature stands the best chance of being the Loch Ness Monster. Elsewhere in cryptid news, The Blogsquatcher has a three-part series of interviews with a Bigfoot investigator in The Terminating Line: Interview with "Fuzzy, Part 1"; Part 2 and Part 3.

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Britain's big-cats are once again out in force, as The Anomalisttells us today:

New Panther Sightings in North NorfolkNorth Norfolk News. Big cat sightings are becoming almost as commonplace as sightings of Chinese lanterns in the United Kingdom. Reports of large out-of-place felines stretch throughout the British countryside, and the latest report comes from a housewife in Hevingham, Norfolk, who spotted a "black panther" just 25 feet from her house. Elsewhere in the UK, 87-year-old John Bradley thinks he has come across the Beast of the Bay, a large black cat, for the second time, as explained in Man Sees Fabled Beast - Not for the First Time, and the A38 highway was the site when a motorist reported a 'Large Black Cat' Sighting in Stone.

In a very intriguing and notable post, good mate and fellow cryptid-hunter Neil Arnold digs into the subject of one of Britain's most ancient of all creepy-critters: the Black Dog.

As Neil says in part:

"Miriam Carroll recalled in ’63 how, whilst driving to Alton, she saw a terrifying black dog clasp a lamb through a barbed-wire fence. The monstrous hound tore at the victim, ripping its head off through the fence, leaving the witness shaken, as she drove to the nearby farm to report the incident. A year later a policeman, whilst chatting to two Irish tourists at 1:15 pm, saw a massive black dog heading their way. Without warning the beast leapt at them, pinning all three of them up against a bus shelter. One of the Irishmen could only react by swiping at the hideous form with his bag, which passed through the creature. The monster dog then vanished, leaving all three men stunned with disbelief."

And if that extract has got you interested in reading Neil's article in full, here's the link!

New England's WCIN Radio may be well known for it's jazz and folk music, but listen to what DJ Mark Lynch uncovered when he interviewed author Neil Arnold about his book, MONSTER! THE A-Z OF ZOOFORM PHENOMENA. A surreal safari indeed: winged men, varying hell-hounds, Asian vampires, Noodleman, urban monster legends, the goat-sucker, the Yorkshire maggot, and Mothman...

Monday, February 23, 2009

The new issue of David Acord'sCryptid Chronicles has just been published (and is available at the link at the end of this post), and here's David himself to tell you more about it:

I've got an interesting article on a cryptid you may have never heard of -- the gowrow. Plus, the latest installment of the Hairy Hominid Name Project as well as a neat look back at the possible origins of the Bladenboro Beast. Hope you enjoy it, and please send along your comments and questions! I'm always eager to hear from readers. Also, if it's not too much trouble, tell your friends about The Cryptid Chronicles -- in this economy, every little bit of promotion helps!Best,David AcordEditor, The Cryptid Chronicleshttp://www.fiweekly.com/cryptid

Simon Wyatt is a friend of mine who lives in Wales; he's an excellent artist, and over the last year or so has done some great drawings for me of a whole variety of crypto-creatures, such as Bigfoot (which can be seen over at my Man-Beast UK blog); Owlman; and Britain's infamous Man-Monkey. And, here's Simon's latest, which is, of course, the infamous Chupacabras of Puerto Rico. For more information on Simon's work, check out the links below:

"Some UFO events include the appearance of strange entities that don't seem to be extraterrestrial, but they don't appear to be cryptozoological either. Of course, we don't know what extraterrestrial is or what it should look like, not really, so we can't assume something is, or, isn't, from outer space. But if some of these weird beings aren't from outer space, and they don't seem to be 'animals' what are they? One UFO case that has seemingly one of a kind, 'not quite animal / not quite alien' entities is the Oregon Reeves case."

Over at Richard Thomas’s Room 101 (which can be found at Tim Binnall’s Binnall of America), you can find a new interview with me. Most of the interview is focused upon the worlds of sci-fi and zombie films. But you can also find a few cryptozoological comments and observations, too. Here’s the link.

Friday, February 20, 2009

Well, just when you thought things couldn't get any weirder in the immediate vicinity of Britain's Cannock Chase woods, now comes this new story of nothing less than a flying man!!! Is it Mothman, Owlman, the Glastonbury Gargoyle, or something else? I have no idea; but it's extremely bloody weird!

Thursday, February 19, 2009

What is it with werewolves today? Dunno; but there's another new story on the subject (as well as an interesting article from Dr. Karl Shuker) highlighted at The Anomalisttoday. Here you go:

A Brazilian Werewolf - is BackForgetomori. Friday the 13th reports from the police blotters in Sao Paulo, Brazil, include a report by 20-year-old Kelly Martins Becker claiming she was attacked by a bipedal doglike creature...and she had scratches to her face and arms to prove it. With photo and illustrations. Elsewhere, Dr. Karl Shuker reviews the history of reports from South America, particularly from Brazil, of a cryptid known as the "minhocao" as he goes Seeking Mega-Caecilians.

Oll Lewis has a very interesting new post over at the CFZ-UK blog: on werewolves. Here's an extract from it:

"On first impressions the werewolf is probably one of the most preposterous of all animals to be lumped in with cryptozoology. Putting their near invincibility to one side you’re left with a creature that can completely change its physical appearance, biochemistry, mass and genetic make up for one night each month and be perfectly fit to go on a hunt that very evening. However if one looks at the origins of werewolf mythology in western Europe then it can be argued that werewolves are real, but were not shape-shifters or possessed of supernatural powers as they have been portrayed by most folklore or later in horror stories and films."

FYI, I just got back from a field trip to New Mexico, where I met with two West Virginia Mothman experiencers who recently moved there, Sharon and Jordan Rogers. Sharon is one of three experiencers (the others being Harriet Plumbrook and John Frick) who seemed to consistently attract paranormal phenomena whenever I met or corresponded with them.

This trip was no exception. Sharon and Jordan and I visited several paranormal areas in Albuquerque, such as Rancho de Corrales, Jemez Pueblo, Petroglyph National Monument, Bandelier National Monument, and the haunted hill at the end of Menaul Ave. in Albuquerque, which we visited around midnight on Feb. 1st.

When we got to the haunted hill, which is fronted by large grass fields on the plateau above Albuquerque, Sharon and Jordan both stated that an area to the left, where an enormous shadow hovered on the cliffs, was active with tricksterish "elementals." Both tried to walk in that direction, but were stymied by fears that something "wasn't right."

After we meditated for some time in absolutely freezing wind, I decided to press forward because I figured we would have to go back to the car soon. After walking about a hundred yards towards the base of the cliffs on the right, I saw what appeared to be a fire burning underneath the shadow area to the left. It appeared to be inside of a cave of some sort. The fire could only be seen by walking into the zone that Sharon and Jordan had previously identified as "off limits."

After I told them about the fire, they walked forward in order to see it. As we watched over a period of a few minutes, the fire died down to nothing. After another minute or two, it mysteriously came back. At that point, our Mothy senses were tingling...

We had to decide whether or not to walk to the fire, which was a couple hundred yards away over iffy terrain. Knowing that the legend of haunted hill featured a serial killer who used a cave to dismember victims (like in WV during Mothman), we decided to leave and come back when it was light - to see if there was any evidence of fire.

Interestingly, when we went back to comb the area, there was absolutely no evidence of any fire, or the covering up of any fire. And, no evidence of any cave... It seems that we may have witnessed an actual "ghost fire" in a "ghost cave." One wonders if these fires might somehow be related to sightings of the Firebird, or Phoenix...

Sharon and Jordan's experiences in WV and NM will be featured in my fourth book in The Mothman's Photographer series, due out this year, tentatively called The Magical Mechanisms of the Mothman Code: The Unified Field Connecting UFOs, ESP, Angels, Demons, Conspiracies, Cryptids, Ghosts, Prophecies, and Spiritual Awakening.

The book will also feature writings and interviews with several other witnesses and experts, such as John Keel, conspiracy author Adam Gorightly, Penn State professor Dennis Day, ritual magician Allen Greenfield, ufologist Sandy Nichols, paranormal investigator David Scott, geologist Robert Denton, Jr., and psychic healer Mina Bast Marinkov. Also included will be interviews 25 through 38 of my Grassy Knoll series with Vyz.

The book will tie a lot of strings together, effectively providing what I feel is a strong framework for understanding why we see Mothman and other "cryptids." While it may not have all of the answers, it will have many of them. Thanks to all who contributed their experiences to this collaboration. Hopefully it will provide some meaningful signposts for future researchers.

Btw, Vyz has just posted show #38 to his Beyond the Grassy Knoll site, and it is a good one. Vyz, Robert Denton, and I get into many of the strange truths regarding mounds, dinosaur bones, and hybrid creature sightings, like the glowing Garuda seen in New Guinea and the Thunderbird seen on the Navajo Reservation, which burned the tops of trees.

Robert is a trained scientist who also happens to have found significant dinosaur fossil sites using only his intuition. One of the things we figured out after the show is that the Shenandoah Valley, whose name origin is shrouded in mystery, may actually be named after "Shen" (spirit) and "duah," which is one of the names the Garuda is called by natives in New Guinea.

Interestingly, one of the other names for the glowing Garuda in New Guinea is "Indava," reminiscent of Orinda (the Thunderbird's energy), Indra (the god of fire), and Indrid Cold. Yet another name for the Garuda in New Guinea is "Ropen," reminiscent of those ropes that seem to fall mysteriously from the sky in Mothman and UFO sighting areas.

FYI, I am honored to be the first Washington Bureau Chief for The League of Western Fortean Intermediatists (LOWFI). LOWFI provides online news and commentary on all things Fortean, paranormal, or downright weird.

As one might expect, I have already begun a crusade to include West Virginia in the confederation, since it has "West" in its name and hosts more paranormal activity than a pterosaur's ghost in a interdimensional hamster vortex:

In all seriousness, LOWFI, with its emphasis on looking at all data regarding the supernatural, is a long overdue breath of fresh air in the paranormal research community. It should provide at least some sort of balance to a debate that has long been dominated by cryptozoology, which generally promotes a more linear view of reality.

Thanks to Skylaire Alfvegren for her leadership in getting the media interested in what we are doing. LOWFI puts the super back in supernatural!

For your visual entertainment, below is a picture of a rock formation I took at Bandelier Nat. Mon., which looks a bit like a Garuda in meditation posture. The rock is right outside of several cliff dwellings, and overlooks ceremonial ruins such as the sipapu, or place in the earth from which the Natives claim to have initially emerged.

Below that is a picture of an "ice heart" taken at a remote waterfall near that famous Haunted A-Frame in Tornado, WV where various groups of ghosts have been seen. A little late for Valentine's Day, but still cool. (And no, I didn't chip away any pieces, even though it looks like it.)

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Here's the latest news on the notorious Beast of Bray Road, Wisconsin from fearless werewolf-hunter and good friend, Linda Godfrey:

"Here's a weird Bray Road incident that happened last night, an unseasonably warm Feb. evening about 40 degrees F. and a clear sky, good visibility. Two men were driving along Bray Road near a farm where past sightings have occurred, when they saw a wolf-like animal that was much larger than a coyote standing in the road. They said it just didn't look right, although it was on four legs. It ran off into a field as they approached, and they went home for a camera. When they returned it was nowhere to be seen. But they did see a man walking barefoot down the road. (!?!) Could have been just a coydog hybrid and some teenager celebrating the February thaw, but the oddity of it all intrigues me. I'm in the processing of begging more details. I hope they at least snapped Shoeless Joe."

As many of you will know, the British Head-Office of the CFZ has a number of blogs on a variety of cryptozoological subjects. In addition, many of those blogs (and their readers, of course) greatly benefit from the many and varied articles that are submitted for publication.

But, now, there is a new CFZ blog - and it's another good one. Rather than being a typical blog covering all sorts of issues (interviews, book-reviews, etc), this one is solely designed to bring you all the latest, breaking news stories in (a) the world of cryptozoology and (b) the quirkier side of the animal kingdom.

This week's edition of David Acord's excellent Cryptid Chronicles is now available - and, as usual, a fine issue it is! For all the details on how to obtain this publication (that deserves all of our support), click right here.

Mermaid’ Found in Neg. Or. a Hoax Daily Star. People flocked to the marine laboratory of Silliman University in the Philippines hoping to get a glimpse of a mermaid after hearing the news on the radio that one had allegedly been found in San Jose. It was a hoax, of course. Was it a way to increase the the number of visitors paying an entrance fee?

Henry Bauer and the Loch Ness Monsters HIV/AIDS Skepticism. What does Nessie have to do with the HIV/AIDS controversy? Very little, actually, unless you are critic of the HIV skeptics, in which case the link goes by the name of Henry Bauer. In this post, professor Bauer discusses guilt by association and character assassination, and sets the record straight concerning his belief in the Loch Ness monster.

Same Species Found at Both Ends of Earth LiveScience. How can apparently identical species, 235 of them actually, live in both the Arctic and the Antarctic, which are 8,000 miles apart? Since distance and habitat divisions are two of the factors that can separate creatures and lead to new species, a DNA analysis is underway to confirm if the like species are in fact identical. Elsewhere, Obama, Bigfoot, and Bond, James Bond.

Last year, I highlighted a new DVD titled Southern Fried Bigfoot - which, as its name suggests, was all about sightings of giant, hairy, man-beasts in the southern states of the US (here's my original link).

Well, there is new news on the film, thanks to writer/director, Sean Whitley. As Sean told me last night, Southern Fried Bigfoot will finally will have its broadcast premiere on April 13, 2009 on The Documentary Channel, carried by DISH Network, at 9pm Eastern/8pm Central. The DVD will also go on sale on DOC's online store around the same time.

Plus, the trailer is going to be featured on "The New Face of Fear Vol. 1," a DVD compilation of trailers from independent horror and suspense movies that's being released by Urban Chillers.

There will also be an article in Issue #18 (due to be released in late March) of the comic book "Proof" published by Image Comics, and a preview clip has just been posted on eerietube.com, a hip new space where you can check out the latest in horror and sci-fi news, as well as view original content directed by some of horror's most innovative directors.

Monday, February 16, 2009

Jon Downes updates us on what's afoot with the CFZ-UK Office this week:

"This is going to be a monumentally stressful week for us all. We are in London (twice), Enfield (once) and Yeovil (once) and will be tootling up and down the motorway like there is no tomorrow. The daily bloggo postings will continue at approximately noon and 6 p.m, but it is very likely that the notification posts to Usenet and Facebook, and possibly even the changes to the CFZ website front page, may go by the board some days (most likely friday and sunday). Please forgive us for this, but as you will find out when we tell you all about it, there is a lot at stake this week....."

Just recently, as you may recall, I highlighted a new interview with Ken Gerhard - author of the book Big Bird- over at Tim Binnall's Binnall of America show. Now, at his The Outsider's Edge blog, writer Richard Thomas offers a positive commentary and review of Ken's interview.

In part, Richard says:

"Very enjoyable interview this week on BoA: Audio. Cryptozoology is definitely starting to outshine UFOs and even ghost hunting in the mainstream, so I thought Ken Gerhard was a smart way to kick start the series after the mid season hiatus. Gerhard's thoughts on the Big Bird phenomenon we're refreshingly well thought out and surprisingly logical for such an incredible and unlikely subject as, basically, real life dragons. Interesting speculation about any of these strange topics is something I always enjoy and Gerhard certainly delivered in spades. I have to say I was amazed at how long he could talk on the Big Bird mystery alone, a topic that I had barely heard of, never mind looked into. Which I guess made it all the more intriguing for me."

Pikas, Sasquatch, and Snowmen Cryptomundo. Decades ago Ivan T. Sanderson noted that pikas seemed to be a food source for Sasquatch/Bigfoot and Yeti/Abominable Snowmen. So when Loren Coleman was younger, he thought about keeping pikas. But now, he wonders, does a change in their populations signal a shift in the numbers of Bigfoot and Yeti? Also, the mystery carcass that washed ashore in Chile is, in all probability, a dead goat: Chilean Carcass: Non-Mystery.

Yet Another Mystery Creature From Falmouth Bay Cryptozoology Online. In the middle of Owlman country, something like a small kangaroo is seen in the UK. "It was a little bigger than a dog and had the face of a cat with eyes that were glazed over and luminescent like a lion’s at night. It left when it saw me but appeared to only walk on two hind legs much like a kangaroo would and had behind it a bushy tail like a fox.” Elsewhere, a report by Tania Poole on the cryptozoological wonders of her home in Australia in Plenty To See In Central Victoria and the post Megalo-who? questions whether the creature reported in megalodon sightings are as big as claimed, or whether they are sharks at all.

Here's an excellent, insightful, and thought-provoking new post from cryptid-hunter, author and good mate, Neil Arnold, titled On the Trail of the Big Cat...Researcher

"Since I was nine years old I have believed in monsters; whether they be the nine-headed hydra from fantasy films or hulking, hairy humanoids said to roam the wastes of Tibet.

"I’ve always wanted to hunt for these mysterious creatures and, in 2007, I realised my dream when, after twenty-years of research into reports of exotic cats in the countryside, I gave up the day job to pursue them.

"Before that I was Mr 9 to 5, stuck in a job. Despite several fantastic encounters with large cats and a handful of similarly terrifying incidents the job came first. I can tell you that there is nothing as precious as experience and nothing more satisfying and rewarding than actually seeing a big cat in situ.

"As a child, I used to read about how flying saucers were visiting the planet. I thumbed many a book and magazine on the UFO subject and was astounded by the number of researchers who were rather less than they seemed; they spent more time bickering and squabbling than actually getting out there and investigating!

"After about a year of this I gave up, bored by the UFO community and the ‘anoraks’ within it who’d spent a lifetime behind a typewriter, then a computer screen telling us what could and couldn’t be. They formed a clique, a group of self-proclaimed ‘experts’ who gave Ufology such a bad name that today it is viewed as a hobby less appealing than train-spotting.

"Fast forward to the 1980s and reports were circulating of several sheep being slaughtered on the moors of the West Country. Big Cat Fever had hit the nation and the headlines for real, even though twenty years before the Surrey ‘puma’ had captured distracted the attention of journalists.

"The ‘80s was a time when everything seemed sincere. Naturalists and zoologists were genuinely befuddled by elusive felids roaming the countryside. Such was the novelty of this mystery that no-one really thought about the possible future implications. At the time I was a teenager excited by the possibility that some kind of huge cat was prowling the woods at the back of my home. I took it upon myself to investigate...

"I traipsed across treacherous and foggy marshes, clawed my way through brambles, thickets and thorny. I was shot at, threatened by mysterious cults and, although I always despised the music of U2, I sympathised when Bono yelped, 'But I still haven’t found what I’m looking for.' Those words rang true through my soul.

"To become a full-time author, speaker and researcher into sightings of big cats around Kent, Sussex and London has been a privilege. I have been fortunate to have seen, at the time of writing, a black leopard – quite possibly the same individual on three occasions. I have also seen a lynx which took two years to track, as well as a puma and a smaller cat I couldn’t identify.

"Despite this, in all my years of research there is one thing I have yet to find; another decent researcher who can wrench themselves from the anorak brigade, throw away their toys, and get on with an investigation.

"I have known several researchers over the years who have dedicated a lot of time to studying large cats in the wild. Many of these have given up the ghost, either bored by the petty politics that seems to come with the territory, or simply fed up of being the brunt of so many ridiculous comments so that their once hardened shells have crumbled. Big cat research in the late 1990s and now, is no different to Ufology.

"It is a situation involving fickle individuals, many of whom sit behind PCs and say what can or cannot be. Many refuse to speak to others outside their clique. Others are so desperate to see a cat that, in their impatience, they flit around the countryside like some speeding nomad, quite sure that the cat they are seeking may be toying with them. These elusive researchers exist on jealousy. They are green with envy of others to the extent that they require no camouflage to hide in the local woods.

"Tragically, research into big cats will never really become respectable unless the government, or other official bodies, get involved full-time. If they do, they won’t require the help of local researchers.Genuine researchers seem far more elusive than the cats themselves.

"As with Ufology, I have become so disillusioned by the situation that my best advice to a budding big cat enthusiast is to stick to your guns, work alone, keep your head low and dig in. You’ll uncover a treasure trove of information that hopefully you can one day leave behind so that others may learn.

"It doesn’t need a front page of The Sun or ITN News coverage to make you better or more genuine explorer than anyone else. You don’t need to become part of a clique, or to become an anorak adorned in camouflage, whilst clutching your cuddly toy panther, to become a good researcher.

"In a world with an 'every man for himself' attitude, I’ve always found it best to do my own thing and just get on with it. True, some people don’t like this or my views, but it is always amusing to watch them squabbling and bickering, running around as if the ‘mystery’ owes them something.

"At the end of the day, it seems as if everyone wants that close up photograph, or even that dead specimen to say, 'Ner-ner-ner-ner-ner, I’ve got a better one than you'. Yet, the realisation is this; these cats will outlive us all. They were here before us, and if it wasn’t for them most of the people out there trying to see one wouldn’t have such a hobby.

"This is not a perfect world and there will never be a coming together of investigative souls, because there are too many egos at work. I guess that is what makes, or should I say, relegates the British ‘big cat’ situation to nothing more than a more modern version of Ufology. Stake-outs, conferences, shouting matches, accusations, petty politics.

"Remember this; it doesn’t matter how many Zoologists you know, or whether your dad is an expert tracker, your own sighting will come with perseverance, patience and a little modesty.

"This article is not a war cry but simply a way of encouraging people remove the trappings, to take off the war-paint, look in the mirror and ask whether, for them, there is any difference between UFO-spotting and ‘big cat’ watching. There should be a huge difference! The latter is, supposedly, the study of exotic felids roaming the country, not a Crypto version of Professional Wrestling’s Royal Rumble.

"One theory thrown over the top rope, one researcher quitting after being bullied, one accusation spat at an old friend! The fight ends when there is no-one left in the ring and the title they are all fighting for slinks off back into the shadows and awaits the next clique - off stage in a locker room donning more camo-face paint and slipping on the anoraks..."

Here's a weird little story brought to my attention today by good friend, Kithra. It basically deals with a strange-looking beast (there is a drawing that accompanies the article in the link below) seen recently in the English county of Cornwall. What is it? I have no idea; although a few ideas and theories are suggested within the article. Here's the link. Thoughts, anyone?!

And here's what the CFZ's Jon Downes has to say on the matter:

"This story is very peculiar, not only because I have absolutely no idea what this creature could be, but because the aforesaid footpath is right in the middle of Owlman country.

"There have been no Owlman sightings reported to us since 2002, but as we know from our own experience over many years it is a particularly strange bit of woodland.

"Richard Freeman, our Zoological Director suggests that it looks like a springhaire or springhaas, a south African rodent that looks superficially like a small kangaroo. They are kept in several British zoos, and as they are not in the slightest bit endangered, and not covered by the Dangerous Wild Animals Act it would not surprise us at all if they were kept locally by a private collector.

"We know someone in the Falmouth area has a taste for exotic rodents because, a few years ago, we had a report of a jerboa turning up at Falmouth Art College.

"Richard Freeman is contacting The Falmouth Packet as we speak, and will be getting in touch with the original witness. Ain't Fortean Zoology grand!"

Early last year, I wrote an article/review for Fortean Times on a new independent film titled The Wild Man of the Navidad - which was based upon an old Texas-based monster legend; and a very good film it is, too!

Well, there's some good news about the production, courtesy of Duane Graves, who is one the brains behind the production. And with that said, here's Duane to tell you more himself:

Hello all. Duane Graves here. It has been a three your journey, but our lo-fi 70's drive-in style horror flick "The Wild Man of the Navidad" is FINALLY available NATIONWIDE via all major cable outlets.

If you have cable, check your movies on demand/pay per view area and look for it in the IFC In Theaters/IFC Festival Direct section. It will be available for ordering until May 11.

If you don't have cable and can't get somewhere that does before May 11, don't fret! The movie will be on Blockbuster shelves/online store later this year after its run on demand. So keep an eye out for it!

To check out the brand spanking new IFC Films trailer for "Wild Man," visit their page:

You can find a new interview with me over at Alien Seeker News; and although it's chiefly not about cryptozoology, we do get into the subject, including the following on the controversy surrounding Bigfoot in Britain, and its undoubted paranormal qualities:

Paul Dale Roberts: "Do you think that Bigfoot is an inter-dimensional creature and that is the reason why we can't capture one?"

Nick Redfern: "Yep, that is definitely what I think - or, that at the very least, it is not flesh-and-blood, as we understand the term. The whole Bigfoot field has a lot of Fortean weirdness attached to it that a lot of researchers who focus more on the flesh-and-blood theories don't like to deal with, at all - because it opens some very problematic doors. But, as with UFOs, when it comes to Bigfoot I have no time for belief systems that are so rigid they can't be tampered with. To ignore the paranormal stories associated with Bigfoot actually means discarding a hell of a lot of material. And I won't do that just to bolster the simple idea that 'Bigfoot is a giant ape.' I have investigated a lot of British-based Bigfoot reports, and there is just no way a flesh-and-blood Bigfoot could live, hide, breed and die without detection in a country the size of Britain. But people see it - whatever 'it' is. And in Britain, most of the reports from there are of Bigfoot creatures appearing and vanishing in the blink of any eye, not leaving footprints, being seen near old prehistoric sites, etc."

I first met Australian Tania Poole a couple of years ago at the Devon, England-based Weird Weekend that Jonathan "Rubeus" Downes and the CFZ hold every year. And, I'm very pleased to see that Tania is now contributing articles to the CFZ-UK's official blog - on the subject of Australian cryptids. I hope this will be the first of many posts from Tania!

Cat Prints? Not Again... Zoology to the Max. A close look at those mysterious Big Cat footprints in the UK. The cast photos lead Richard Freeman to conclude tentatively: “It could belong to a puma or leopard but I think it is most like a puma's with the wide toe pads. In fact the print reminds me of a Florida puma print I saw that had been cast from a track left in sand.” Also, Medway Monster Mistake Mooted and Steller's sea cow.

This is definitely one of those "Do Not Miss!" productions - and I urge one and all to click on the link above to learn more about the film, to contact JC, and to get all the information on the film, those who worked hard to bring it to life, and much more.

Filled with fantastic imagery of some truly magical-looking scenery, and suitably atmospheric music to accompany it, Navajo Skin-Walkers is the type of film I enjoy watching a great deal.

Made by a dedicated team of investigators who have a deep passion for their subject matter, and who are willing to go the extra mile to find the answers, this is the sort of thing of which we need much, much more.

There's no doubt that when it comes to cryptozoology, the most important thing of all is the witness testimony. Without witnesses, we have nothing - absolutely zero. And, firmly recognizing this, JC and his team seek out a good and varied group of people to interview, and who are all willing to talk about their extraordinary experiences with Skin-Walkers.

Night-time encounters with paranormal entities prowling around their homes, banging on doors and windows, and generally scaring the you-know-what out of those with whom the Skin-Walkers have crossed paths, dominate the film.

And, you also get a very good indication of how the events in question have left a deep impression on those whose lives have been touched by the Skin-Walkers.

As JC's DVD makes abundantly clear, the Skin-Walkers are not mere out-of-place, misidentified animals. No. We hear tales of animals walking on two-legs and then four; of bullets having no effect on the beasts; of witness Ivan's weird encounter with a clawed, Kangaroo-like beast; of giant 8-foot-tall entities; of glowing red eyes; and a great deal more, too.

For anyone already fascinated by the Skin-Walker phenomenon - and for those new to the subject, but who want to learn more - I strongly urge you to check out Navajo Skin Walkers and Legends: Crypto Four Corners.

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Monday, February 9, 2009

Neil Arnold has just interviewed me about my crypto writing and research, and which can be found right here. We cover a lot of ground, including the flesh-and-blood vs. the paranormal controversy; window-areas; how I got interested in cryptozoology; and much more.

Darwin’s Cryptid Cryptomundo. Few in cryptozoology realize that Charles Darwin is quite directly linked and responsible for a species that may be the source of an ongoing cryptid investigation. Why "may," you wonder? Hint: David Oren. Also, Recent Cryptobits.Deities Of The Canine Kind ShukerNature. The worship of the cat as a god in ancient Egypt and elsewhere is well known, but less familiar is the diversity of canine deities that have also been venerated in various cultures. Karl Shuker's post covers Anubis, Hermanubis, Xolotl, Bhairava, and St. Guinefort, the canonized greyhound!

The scientific world was rock recently when the remains of eight gigantic snakes were unearthed in a Columbian quarry. Measuring 43 feet, Titanoboa cerrejonensis was among the largest fossil snakes ever to have been uncovered.

You might think such monsters must surely be restricted to the dim, primordial past – but you would be wrong, say a group of Devon-based scientists.

The Centre for Fortean Zoology is the world’s only full-time scientific organization dedicated to the investigation of anomalous or undiscovered species of animal.

The group has tracked gigantic serpents all across the globe.

Zoologial director Richard Freeman, a reptile specialist, says:"Stories of monstrous snakes appear in most cultures, but there may be much more than ancient legend in these tales. In the year 2000, I explored the rivers, caves and jungles of Thailand. I interviwed a number of witnesses who claimed to have seen a huge snake, known as a naga. The animal lived in water and bore an erectile crest on its head. In Sumatra the tribespeople spoke of encountering vast horned snakes in the deep jungle.

“Such creatures are not restricted to the tropics. Whilst in the Caucausus mountains of Russia, we were told of a 33-foot-long species of snake that inhabited marshy areas of the former Soviet Union.

"However the most promising accounts come from South America," says Richard.

"In 2007 we travelled to Guyana on the track of the giant anaconda. Our guide, Damon Corrie, was an Arawak Indian chief. He told us of a titanic anaconda inhabiting a remote lake. It was so huge that he hunters who saw it fled in terror. They pointed out a 30-foot tree to him and said the snake was far larger. The anaconda in question would have been in the region of 40 feet!

"Frustratingly, due to adverse weather conditions, we could not reach the lake where the giant snake dwelt. More recently, very large anaconda have been reported closer to Damon's village in the grasslands of Guyana.

"The CFZ is currently looking for sponsorship, so that Richard can lead an expedition to return to Guyana and travel to the lake in question.

"We know where the lake is, so we will not have to search too wide an area. The creature is a 'sitting duck'. We hope to head out this spring or summer, funding permitting," he says.

"Because anacondas give birth to live young, rather than laying eggs, they have severed their last link with land. Very big ones spend most of their time buoyed up in the water."

But such large snakes can prove dangerous. As recently as the late 1990s, an anaconda thought to be 45 feet long devoured Daniel Menezes in Soa Paulo Brazil as his father Joao looked on helplessly.

Pictures are available. For further details, or to arrange an interview with Richard please telephone Jon or Corinna on +44 (0)1237 431413

NOTES TO EDITORS:

* The Centre for Fortean Zoology [CFZ] is the world’s largest mystery animal research organisation. It was founded in 1992 by British author Jonathan Downes (4 and is a non-profit making (not for profit) organisation registered with H.M. Stamp Office. \

* Life-president of the CFZ is Colonel John Blashford-Snell OBE, best known for his groundbreaking youth work organising the ‘Operation Drake’ and ‘Operation Raleigh’ expeditions in the 1970s and 1980s.

* CFZ Director Jonathan Downes is the author and/or editor of over 20 books. His latest book is Island of Paradise, his first hand account of two expeditions to the Caribbean island of Puerto Rico in search of the grotesque vampiric chupacabra.

* The CFZ have carried out expeditions across the world including Russia, Sumatra, Mongolia, Guyana, Gambia, Texas, Mexico, Thailand, Puerto Rico, Illinois, Loch Ness, and Loch Morar.* CFZ Press are the world’s largest publishers of books on mystery animals. They also publish Animals & Men, the world’s only cryptozoology magazine, and The Amateur Naturalist, Britain’s only dedicated magazine on the subject.

* The CFZ produce their own full-length documentaries through their media division called CFZtv www.cfztv.org. One of their films `Lair of the Red Worm` which was released in early 2007 and documents their 2005 Mongolia expedition has now been seen by nearly 50,000 people.

* The CFZ is based in Jon Downes’ old family home in rural North Devon which he shares with his wife Corinna (52). It is also home to various members of the CFZ’s permanent directorate and a collection of exotic animals.

* Jonathan Downes presents a monthly web TV show called On the Track(http://cfzmonthly.blogspot.com/) which covers cryptozoology and work of the CFZ.

* The CFZ are opening a Visitor Centre and Museum in Woolsery, North Devon.

* Following their successful partnership with Capcom www.capcom.com on the 2007 Guyana expedition, the CFZ are looking for more commercial sponsors.

"18 months ago we started a magazine called Exotic Pets which did basically what it said on the tin, and covered ummmm exotic pets really. It has been a moderate success, but for a number of different reasons we have decided to knock it on the head.

"However, don't be distraught, because the magazine will live on albeit under a different name. As of issue seven which (I sincerely hope) will go to press on Tuesday, the periodical will be called The Amateur Naturalist.

"To put our reasoning in a nutshell, as far as we are concerned the keeping of exotic animals as pets is only ethical if done in a spirit of investigation, and so rather than publishing a magazine which could be interpreted as merely encouraging people to keep such animals for their novelty value, we are now nailing our ethical colours to the mast.

"However we are delighted to be able to announce that the production values are going to be considerably higher. It will no longer be printed in-house but will be manufactured - like our books - by those jolly nice folks at LightningSource. It will be substantially longer (at about 100pp rather than 60pp) and although there will be a small price hike this will not effect current subscribers.

"And, as we announced with Animals & Men last week, it will be available in two different formats. A perfect bound paperback, and a pdf download (people who buy the former automatically get a free copy of the latter).

Over at his Room 101 site at Binnall of America, Richard Thomas interviews resident zoologist at the CFZ, Richard Freeman. Here's part of their exchange:

Richard Thomas: "As a cryptozoologist who has written and lectured widely on the subject, aside from ABCs and the British Bigfoot (which we will discuss later), what are some of the "mystery animals" you are convinced are probably real?"

Richard Freeman: "The thylacine or Tasmanian wolf, a striped, dog like, flesh eating marsupial. The thylacine was supposedly hunted into extinction in the mid 1930s but there have been over 4000 sightings since then, some by zoologists and park ranger. There have also been a couple of film sequences that I have seen analysed frame by frame. I have no doubt this creature is still around.

"The giant anaconda. This snake gives birth to live young rather than laying eggs. Ergo it has severed its last link with land and can spend 99% of its time in water. Thus buoyed up, it can reach huge sizes, perhaps as much as 60 feet!

"Orang-pendek, an upright walking ape from Sumatra. Debbie Martyr, head of the Indonesian Tiger Conservation Group has seen it four times. It is probably related to the orangutan but adapted for a bipedal existence on the forest floor.

"The yeti, possibly a surviving form of the giant ape Gigantopithecus blacki that lived in China and India 500,000 years ago. Hair has been analysed in the UK, USA and China. The results were the same: unknown primate.

"The Almasty, a relic hominid, an ultra primitive kind of man, it has no fire and only ape-like tool use. I know two scientists who have seen this creature and I think I came within 12 feet of one last Summer on a derelict farm in Russia at 2.30 am.

"Dragons, the original uber monster. Found in every culture and dating back at least 25,000 years in cave paintings. Still seen today in parts of Asian and Africa and the worlds oceans. Possibly the descendant of a group of prehistoric seagoing crocodiles. World wide the dragon is more associated with water than it is with fire."

Saturday, February 7, 2009

It's completely off-topic, but Lux Interior - lead-singer for the legendary Cramps - has just died. I love the Cramps, and consider their "What's Inside A Girl?" to be their defining moment. And, I'm pleased to say, right up until their final products, they were still completely great. Check out their Fiends of Dope Island, and you'll see what I mean. RIP Lux...

Tuesday, February 3, 2009

Without doubt, this is the weirdest book ever written on the subject of Puerto Rico's most famous blood-sucker, the Chupacabras - or, perhaps, specifically not written would be a far better description!

This cleverly titled BLANK BOOK is a perfect gift for tickling funny bones of believers and skeptics alike! The 8 ½” x 5 ½” trade paperback features 90 pages of quality white paper completely uncontaminated by printing! (Save for headers and footers.) It’s perfect for doodling, making notes, folding origami, or ranting about the other side. In emergencies, it also doubles as toilet paper. (Softness and efficacy not guaranteed for this use!) As an added bonus, if you buy today, you will receive an extra 7 pages of blank white paper bound in with the rest! Ninety-seven blank pages in all! (Along with three pages of pesky titles and legal information, for a not-so-grand total of 100 pages.) The book comes complete with a glossy, full-color cover suitable for framing. The back cover features sarcastic copy sure to drive home the paperback’s satirical intent. Be sure to look for other BLANK BOOKS in the From the Secret Files… series!

So, if you want a book about the Chupacabras that is completely and utterly blank, this is the one for you!!

Camera Ban Hinders Hunt For Swedish Sea MonsterThe Local. A Jämtland county council order banning cameras on the shores of Storsjön in Östersund in northern Sweden has forced those doing camera surveillance of Sweden's legendary Great Lake Sea Monster (Storsjöodjure) to seek permission of the council. Permission was granted as long as the cameras are located under the water surface of the lake. Nain Rouge: The Red GnomeCryptomundo. Nain Rouge is French for “red dwarf” or “red gnome,” a mythical creature that originated in Normandy, France. But in the US, the Nain Rouge is said to haunt Detroit, Michigan, where residents view it as “the harbinger of doom." Have you heard about the Nain Rouge? Also, a preview of the new season of MonsterQuest, in Death at Loch Ness.

Monday, February 2, 2009

Dragon Tales and Monkey Business Cryptozoology Online. Alan Friswell, who does stop-motion animation special effects, tells us how a cryptozoological expedition that led to the discovery and classification of a new species was subsequently responsible for the creation of the most famous fantasy film in cinema history--King Kong. Zorro Captured On Trailcam Cryptomundo. Cryptids, or at least rarely seen animals, do occasionally appear on trailcams. Here is proof. Elsewhere, Karl Shuker presents the Riddle of the Buru and the Lungfish Link, in an excerpt from his book, Extraordinary Animals Revisited. And lastly, the new internet cryptozoology series "Cryptid Hunt" has produced it's 4th episode on YouTube called Mothman.

Well, the first CFZ-USA poll has now closed. As you'll see from the results to the right (which I'll leave up for a few more days), of the 71 people who voted, 36 said that they thought the scenarios portrayed in films like 28 Days Later and I Am Legend could come true. And 35 disagreed. So, interestingly, things were split pretty much 50-50. Mind you, I still hope that a zombie-driven Armageddon is just around the corner...I know: I'm weird...

As The Real Men in Black demonstrates, Mothman, the Loch Ness Monster, the Chupacabra, and perhaps even the legendary "Thunderbird Photograph" have attracted the attention of the MIB.

And, in a real scoop, I detail in my book the very creepy MIB encounter of legendary cryptozoologist, Loren Coleman himself...

THERE'S SOMETHING IN THE WOODS: A Transatlantic Hunt for Monsters and the Mysterious

Contains the latest news on Bigfoot, Werewolves, The Thunderbird, Devil-Dogs, Big-Cats, and much more. For all the details, including purchase-information, click on the book-cover image above, or check out: http://www.anomalistbooks.com/redfern2.html

MONSTERS OF TEXAS

NOW AVAILABLE (Click on the book-cover for more information)

MAN-MONKEY: In Search Of The British Bigfoot

"This book is an important contribution to the annals of furry, upright creature lore and belongs on the shelf of anyone interested in unidentified animals," Linda Godfrey, author of "The Beast of Bray Road" and "Hunting the American Werewolf."

MEMOIRS OF A MONSTER HUNTER: A Five-Year Journey In Search Of The Unknown

"This is one of the best books I've read in years," Joshua P. Warren, author of "Pet Ghosts" and "How to Hunt Ghosts."

CONFESSIONS OF A MONSTER HUNTER

I am the author of many books, including "A Covert Agenda;" "The FBI Files;" "Cosmic Crashes;" "Strange Secrets (with Andy Roberts);" "Three Men Seeking Monsters;" "Body Snatchers in the Desert;" "On the Trail of the Saucer Spies;" "Celebrity Secrets;" "Man-Monkey;" "Memoirs of a Monster Hunter;" "There's Something in the Woods;" "Science Fiction Secrets;" "Contactees;" "Monsters of Texas" (with Ken Gerhard); "Final Events;" "The NASA Conspiracies;" "Space Girl Dead on Spaghetti Junction;" "The Real Men in Black" and "Keep Out!"
Proudest achievement: knowing all the lyrics to every one of the songs recorded by The Macc Lads.
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